Rotary advertising sign



Aug. 27, 1957 J. LANE ROTARY ADVERTISING SIGN Filed Aug. 15. 1954 M wh IEv &

M E v F Lo i V rates its iarli The present invention relates to rotary advertising signs, and more particularly to the bearing construction of a wind-driven rotary sign panel unit.

Rotary advertising signs are known which consist of a thin sign panel to which short trunnions are secured. The trunnions are mounted in stationary bearings so that the sign panel rotates when exposed to moving air and displays in rapid succession pictures and characters shown on the side faces thereof.

However, rotary advertising signs of the above described known type have the disadvantage that they do not operate properly after having been exposed to the weather even for a short time.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a rotary wind-driven advertising sign which reliably operates for an indefinite period of time without requiring maintenance or repairs.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a rotary advertising sign which can be manufactured at low cost and is easily assembled.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a bearing construction for a rotary advertising sign according to which the sign panel is attached to hearing members rotating on stationary shaft means.

it is also an object of the present invention to provide a rigid panel carrier consisting of flat supporting bars capable of supporting cardboard sign panels.

With these objects in view, the present invention mainly consists in a Wind driven rotary advertising sign which comprises, in combination, supporting means in a device of the type described, in combination, supporting means including shaft means; and at least one rotary unit including a pair of spaced bearing members rotatably supported on the shaft means and sign panel means attached to the bearing members so that the rotary unit is adapted to rotate on the shaft means when the sign panel means is exposed to moving air.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises, in combination, a pair of spaced supporting arms, each in a wind-driven advertising sign, in combination, supporting means including a pair of spaced supporting arms, each of the supporting arms having a cylindrical end portion transversely projecting therefrom toward the end portion of the other of the supporting arms, the cylindrical end portions being coaxial and defining an axis; a fiat panel carrier bar having an elongated center portion extending parallel to the axis and two bar end portions projecting from the center portion normal thereto, the bar end portions being formed with coaxial bores receiving the cylindrical end portions of the supporting arms so that the panel carrier bar is rotatably supported on the supporting arms; and a pair of sign panels secured to each other and to opposite lateral surfaces of the center portion of the panel carrier bar so that the center portion extends between the sign panels, the sign panels and the panel carrier bar constituting a rotary unit adapted to rotate when the sign panels are exposed to moving air.

A preferred construction of the rotary unit according to the present invention comprises a panel carrier including a flat bar having an elongated center portion and two bar end portions projecting from the center portion normal thereto and being formed with coaxial hearing bores, and at least two flat supporting bars secured to the center portion of the fiat bar spaced from the bar end portions and extending transversely to the center portion and to the bar end portions, the supporting bars having bent end portions, the bent end portions of each supporting bar projecting in opposite directions obliquely out of the plane defined by the bars; and a sign panel means attached to the panel carrier and including a pair of obliquely projecting wing portions attached to the bent end portions of the supporting bars.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the folowing description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the embodiment shown in Fig. l; and

r Fig. 3 is an isometric view of a detail.

Referring now to the drawing, two rotary units A and B are mounted for rotation on the supporting means C. In the illustrated embodiment, the supporting means C includes a vertical post i. to which two supoprting rods 2 and 3 are secured by clamping means 4. The rotary unit A is turnably supported on the cylindrical end portions 2a and 3a of the supporting arms 2a and 3a, while the rotary unit B is turnably supported on the cylindrical end portions 2b and 3b of the supporting arms 2b and 3b. The rotary unit A comprises a panel carrier means D, best seen in Fig. 3, which includes a flat panel carrier bar 5 having two bent end portions 5 and 5 which project from the center portion of the bar 5 normal thereto, and are formed with coaxial bearing bores 6 which receive the shaft means 2a and 3a. The panel carrier means D further includes a pair of spaced flat supporting bars 7 which are secured to bar 5 by rivets or eyelets 8. A panel of sign panels 9, 10 are secured to the lateral faces of the bars 5 and 7 by means of eyelets or rivets passing through bores 76: and cover bars 5 and 7. The sign panels 9 and iii preferably consist of weatherproof cardboard and are secured to each other by metal staples or stitches 11 located along the edges of the sign panels. An adhesive may also be used for attaching the panels to each other.

The sign panel means 9, 10 of the rotary unit A are provided with obliquely projecting wings or fins 9, 10' and 9" and iii", respectively. The fins facilitate rotation of the rotary unit A in moving air, but may be omitted as in the unit B which otherwise is constructed in the same maner as unit A.

The supporting bars 7 of the panel carrier means D also have end portions obliquely bent in opposite directions to support the fins of the sign panels 9 and 10. The angle defined by the bent end portions 7' and 7" of the sup porting bars 7 and by the oblique fins of the sign panels 9, 10 on one hand, and by the main plane of the sign panels on the other handis preferably about 30.

In the illustrated embodiment the shaft means 2a, 3a and 3b are vertical. Annular members 30 are fixed to the lower shaft means 3a and 3b and the bearing mem her 5" of the rotary unit A rests on the annular member 3c which supports the weight of the unit A.

It will be understood that it is possible to arrange the 3, rotary advertising sign in a position in which the axis of rotation defined by the shaft means 2a and 3a is horizontal, and in this event the annular members 30 may be omitted, or another pair of annular spacing members provided on shaft means 2a and 2b.

. From the above description of a preferred embodiment it will become apparent that the construction of the panel carrier means assures great rigidity of the wind driven rotary units so that the axis defined by the bores 6 in the bearing members and 5" remains straight even if the device is exposed to wind and weathter for a long time, regardless 'of whether the sign panels warp or not. The arrangement of rotary bearing members 5', 5" cooperating with stationary shaft means has been found in practical application of the present invention to operate indefinitely without any disturbances which may be caused by corrosion in similar advertising devices.

' It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of rotary advertising signs differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a wind-driven rotary advertising'sign comprising a panel carrier bar having two bent bearing end portions rotatably supported on stationary shaft means, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can be applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications Without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a wind-driven advertising sign, in combination, supporting means including a pair of fixed spaced supporting arms, each of said supporting arms having a cylindrical end portion transversely projecting therefrom toward the end portion of the other of said supporting arms, said cylindrical end portions being coaxial and defining an axis; a fiat panel carrier bar having an elongated center portion extending parallel to said axis and two bar end portions projecting from said center portion normal thereto, said bar end portions being formed with coaxial bores receiving said cylindrical end portions of said fixed supporting arms so that said panel carrier bar is rotatably supported on said supporting arms; and sign panel means fixedly secured to said center portion of said panel carrier bar so that said sign panel means and said panel carrier bar constitute a rotary unit adapted to rotate freely when said sign panel means is exposed to moving air.

2. In a wind-driven advertising sign, in combination, supporting means including a pair of fixed spaced supporting arms, each of said supporting arms having a cylindrical end portion transversely projecting therefrom toward the end portion of the other of said supporting arms, said cylindrical end portions being coaxial and defining an axis; a flat panel carrier bar having an elongated center portion extending parallel to said axis and two bar end portions projecting from said center portion normal thereto, said bar end portions being formed with coaxial bores receiving said cylindrical end portions of said supporting arms so that said panel carrier bar is rotatably supported on said supporting arms; at least two parallel flat supporting bars secured to said center portion of said panel carrier bar spaced from said bar end portions and extending transversely to the same and to said center portion, said supporting bars having bent-end portions projecting in opposite directions out of the plane defined by said bars; and a pair of substantially parallel sign panels secured to each other and to opposite lateral surface portions of said center portion and of said supporting bars so that said center portion and said supporting bars extend between said sign panels, each of said sign panels including a pair of wing portions at tached to said bent end portions of said supporting bars, said bars and said sign panels constituting a rotary unit adapted to rotate when said sign panels are exposed to moving air.

-3. An advertising sign as claimed in claim 2 wherein said supporting arms are horizontal and spaced from each other in vertical direction; and including an annular member fixed to each of said cylindrical end portions and supporting said bar end portions and thereby the rotary unit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain May 15, 1924 

